1837 Title Deeds on vellum

A plan drawing of the brewery site, on original vellum. From the original title and mortgage deeds.

This 1837 map shows the property of George Simonds [Son of William Blackall Simonds] in Gas Lane, next to and later swallowed up by the Simonds Brewery.

Giles Ayres’ coal merchant’s wharf is out the back of the brewery. This is where they started out before moving to Friar Street. They still exist as C&G Ayres removals. The brewery later expanded into this area, so I assume they owned it and just rented it out to GA.

You can see Thomas Sowden’s property on the north side and was probably his wine merchant’s. He sandwiched the Simonds Brewery as his own brewery (at this stage) was the other side and had most of the river frontage. Simonds had to access the river out the back from the bit adjoining Ayres’ wharf just off the map. Simonds took over Sowden’s Brewery in the 1850’s thus securing the whole site for the first time.